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Superstorm Sandy, six months later: An exclusive survey of its impact

Consumer Reports News: April 29, 2013 10:08 AM

Six months ago today—on October 29, 2012—Sandy slammed into the mid-Atlantic region. A new Consumer Reports survey documents the deep disruption and devastation Sandy wrought, along with highlighting the steps that helped victims cope in its aftermath.

The Consumer Reports National Research Center asked Consumer Reports online subscribers in the areas hit hardest by Sandy, including New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut, about their problems and actions during the days following the storm's landfall.

Some 8,389 people responded, providing perhaps the most comprehensive survey of Sandy's effects on consumers. Highlights from our findings include:

More than half (54%) of homeowners reported property damage with 44 percent experiencing minor damage and 10% experiencing major damage.

Flooding was most frequently cited for major damage, followed by damage to roofs, windows, and doors, possibly by wind, falling trees, debris, and so on.

Of those homeowners who experienced major property damage, one in five (20%) said their home was still uninhabitable in March.

Nearly half of all insurance claims for $40,000 or more were still pending in March, a finding that confirms what CR has noted in the past—that insurers tend to be least likely to satisfy their customers when homeowners need them the most.

Three-quarters of respondents lost power from their utility company for at least one day, and seven days was the median length of time for which power was out.

The loss of power plunged whole communities into darkness and caused residents a host of major inconveniences: